5.
 These species do not form shoals, for which reason they are not ingreat abundance. (kagwade.P.V.) The Bombay and Saurashtra waters are the richest, contributing toabout 80 % of the Polynemids landings of this country E. tetradactylum & Polynemus indicus - Highly esteemed table fish. Restricted abundance – mostly on N.W. coast Migratory species : Sea – river mouths & estuaries. Occur upto 70 – 90 m depth. Polynemids are spread over the tropical waters of Atlantic, Indianand Pacific oceans and are not so far known to occur in the Red Sea.

6.
There are 9 speceis are recorded grom the coastal waters of India1. Eleutheronema tetradactylum {sunderban on east (Bhimachar, 1959) andBombay and Saurashtra on the west coast (Anon, 1941)}2. Polynemus blebeius {sea and brackish water part of N-W coast of India}3. P. sexifilis (from East coast of India)4. P. sextarius (both on east and west coast but predominant in Madras)5. P. xanthonemus (Day has stated the distribution to be in the seas from India toChina, but he couldnt obtain this species from Indian waters)6. P. heptadactylum (Bombay and Saurashtra coast)7. P. paradeseus (Bengal and Central andhra)8. P.microstoma (off mandipam in the Gulf of Mannar)9. P. indicus (both on east and west coast, dominant at Bomabay and Saurashtracoast)

7.
Family characters – presence of free filamentous rays on thelower side of the pectoral fins which are varying in numbersand used as feelers. The number and nature of thesefilamentous rays assists the classification of species.Based on latitudes and longitudes, this vast stretch of thecontinental shelf from Mumbai to kutch has been charted in to6 majors regions of Mumbai, Cambay, Veraval, Porbundar,Dwarka and Kutch from south to north in order.

8.
 Dwarka is the richest of all regions for ‘Dara’. In past, about 90 to 99 % of Dara from here. Thenafter it changes to kutch, but catch rates andpercentage catches is good at Dwarka than Kutch. Best catch of Dara – Nov to Dec, it prefers waters below45 meters deep and temperature below 24 C. Fishery is also influenced by the lunar phases, thecatches being better in the neat tide periods.

12.
REPRODUCTIONHermaphroditism – common in polynemids.Spawning: Continuous - all round the year.Presence of immature - mature - spent in all the monthsindicate the same. Juvenile and post larvae also occur inall months suggesting continuous spawning.P. indicus according to Nayak (1959a) April to June andOctober to December two peaks.Grounds : Coastal waters appear to be the spawningground. Juveniles 9 mm - abundant in nursery groundDwarka.